i don' t know if it has already been posted:
http://www.bicycleretailer.com/news/newsDetail/1533.html
http://www.bicycleretailer.com/news/newsDetail/1533.html
Iron Horse Pulls Line From IBD
- Thread starter Santa Maria
- Start date
HAHA... This is my favorite part:
"As of September 1, low- and mid-priced Iron Horse bicycles will be available in chains such as Dick’s Sporting Goods, The Sports Authority, REI, LL Bean, Toy’s R Us, Wal-Mart, Performance Bicycles and the Forzani Group in Canada. "
So Performance is now along the lines of a WalMart. I'm not surprised... they have been trending that way for quite a while. Say Bye-bye to IH.
It is sad though, b/c I currently ride a Mk3 and a 7pt7 as my main rides.
All that good press that Sam Hill has brought them over the past few yrs is going down the drain.
"As of September 1, low- and mid-priced Iron Horse bicycles will be available in chains such as Dick’s Sporting Goods, The Sports Authority, REI, LL Bean, Toy’s R Us, Wal-Mart, Performance Bicycles and the Forzani Group in Canada. "
So Performance is now along the lines of a WalMart. I'm not surprised... they have been trending that way for quite a while. Say Bye-bye to IH.
It is sad though, b/c I currently ride a Mk3 and a 7pt7 as my main rides.
All that good press that Sam Hill has brought them over the past few yrs is going down the drain.
I got out of the retail bike shop scene a LONG time ago...and performance was 'walmart-esque' back then.
there will be no high end Iron Horse bikes in the very near future. Like now.
I used to work at Performance.
We kept hearing that we were going to get high-end bikes.
We never did.
Performance doesn't care anymore. Not one bit.
We kept hearing that we were going to get high-end bikes.
We never did.
Performance doesn't care anymore. Not one bit.
they're focusing on quantity, not quality. which is unfortunate. but its business.
Giant Mountain Bikes.
Do you really think Iron Horse will go from making bikee like the sunday to nothing but crap? Maybe they have a new suspension design up there sleeve.
It's not a guess, it's a truth. The shops I frequent who sell(or did sell) IH have confirmed this to me. IH's business model has changed and high end bikes aren't part of it.
I did not hear this from IH or Sam Hill, so i only know what I've been told by businesses that have no need to spread rumor.
Whatever bike Sam is on will sell boat loads.
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http://www.sicklines.com/2008/07/25/a-new-giant/
here's your new Sunday...same linkage whether they want to admit it or not.
Is the Sunday DW's design, or just the suspension?
I assume IH owns the rights to the name "Sunday" but the linkage itself is patented by DW, so that's obviously his. Then again what is a Sunday without DW-link???
isn't the owner of Randall Scott, the son of the owner of IH? no need to separate that "high end" relationship.
You mean like the crap they made before the DW linked Sundays?
couldnt go a weekend at Diablo without seeing one of those being hauled off the hill in pieces.
any chance of them splitting the brand name; one brand for lower end bikes and one for upper end? This would be the same model Toyota uses with Lexus and other car manufactures for that matter.
Yeah those total crap burger SGSs.....that Sam won the 2003 Junior World Cup points series on, oh and Rennie who happened to ride that same piece of crap to win the Elite World Cup points series on. The ones with that stupid FSR suspension. Those?
LOL, I was thinking the same thing. They were a nothing overseas bike manufacture until Dave came to the rescue and really made IH what they are today.
Seriously. The SGS bikes were the first step in the right direction for IH. They were a decent frame, well speced bike for a really good price. Not to mention what Hill and Rennie/MadCatz did for the company.
Pretty sure that was pre DW I think but was Todd responsible for any of that?
What people need to understand there is not a lot of business in the high-end bike world. Most shops make their money on the low to mid range ones. From a business standpoint it's a smart move on IH's part. Move more bikes make more money.
and how were sales compared to the Sunday with Hill as the sponsored racer?
I would guess A LOT more than Sundays. It had a longer model run and could be found at any Performance, Supergo, Dept. Store type of bike shop.
How many Sundays you think they would have sold without Sam?
the Sunday is a great bike we all know that but with little more then 20 sold each year in the US there isnt a huge market for them. but something like a maverick found in most sporting goods stores that sells 100,000 a year its a much better profit. that is why ironhorse is moving towards the midrange and lowend market. there will still be high end bikes and parts available but it will no longer be the focus of the company
only 20? you're joking, right? i see 20 'on any sunday' at local mountains
Probably not as many but so what. Take Hill (or any of the other pro riders for that matter), out of the equation and you're still left with a great DH race bike.
Now take the Great bike(s) out of the equation and you will be left with a low to mid range money making machine. BUT IH will lose the brand value that they've established over the last 6ish years.
At a local race last week I could crap and hit a sunday. Do you have any proof of only 17 sundays being sold? And 20 sundays a year, I know that is a crock of ****. The sunday is a great race bike. But it would have never been without dw.
Thats complete B.S. FACT. the dealer I work for sold almost that many in Scotland!!!
You're joking, right? 3 of my roomates own sundays. In my immediate group of riding friends that live within a mile of me that number jumps to 9. Who would have known that almost half of the sundays in america are within 2000 feet of me....get real.
That does not mean you can not do both and that can not be a good business strategy. One does not rule out the other like Lexus and Toyota.
From what I understand, IH can build DW bikes up to a certain point even into 2009 or something like that. Sam is signed on with Monster beyond this year, not IH, if I am not mistaken. I was of the impression that there would be some 2009 Sundays with the DW link, maybe 2008's that are sold in 2009 with different paint or specs or something
DH bikes really aren't in demand, it's a very small cult thing in the biking world. The cost of manufacturing might not be worth production. It would be very interesting to see big company's books (Specialized, Trek, Giant, Cannondale, etc.)on where most of the money is made, I can guarantee it's not on the DH models.
I'm not sure if you're being sarcastic or not but i would like ot take the opportunity to tell on of my favorite Iron Horse stories..now that i won't be an Iron Horse IBD anymore..
So i'm at Sand Point Idaho at the Norba nats and Rennie is in the MadCats pit before morning practice. He's lookin a little rough after an all night skid and bare chested slap fight contest with Kovarik.
Rennie walks up to his mechanic in the pit and the wrench has his SGS Donkey all shined up and ready for practice. Rennie is standing facing the front wheel and grabs one grip with one hand. He shakes the handlebar and from across the parking lot i can see the rear end do that awesome loosey goosey shimmy they were famous for.
He says "Yup looks all ready!" he belches out in hungover laughter. They didn't think anyone was watching. I could see in the eyes of the team that they knew had some sweet equipment to race on...I was just dying.
Then he proceded to destroy everyone all year. Maybe 2 wheel steering is what Rennie needed to stay on the track. "Tuned flex'...haha!!!
The next year the Sunday came out but he was onto a different bike.
Define 'ridiculous amounts'?